Semantic Prosody in Holy Qur’an: A Corpus Study of the Collocations and Meanings of the Verb Waqa’a‘Fell’

Abstract

This paper presents a comprehensive corpus study focusing on the semantic prosody of the verb “waqa’a” within the Holy Qur’an. Its primary objective is to analyze the attitudinal nuances and semantic behaviors exhibited by the verb “waqa’a” across the Qur’anic corpus. Furthermore, it examines how the study of semantic prosody enhances the understanding of Arabic and its implications in the interpretation of the Qur’an. The research methodology entails an extensive examination of the positive, negative, and neutral collocations in which “waqa’a” occurs, along with an exploration of the attitudinal connotations embedded within each prosodic context. Data for this investigation were gathered from The Quranic Arabic Corpus, utilizing meticulous word-by-word and morphological search techniques. The findings of this investigation reveal that “waqa’a” exhibits a multifaceted semantic spectrum, encompassing meanings such as “to fall,” “to occur,” and “to fulfill.” These meanings are found to convey negative, positive, and neutral attitudinal meanings. The paper substantiates these findings with concrete examples drawn from the Qur’an itself. By delving into the semantic prosody of Qur’anic vocabulary, this study not only unveils connotations and contextual insights but also contributes to the enhancement of translation precision and a more profound comprehension of the Qur’an’s profound message. Consequently, this research augments our understanding of the usage of “waqa’a” within the sacred text and further enriches our appreciation of the Arabic language.